Christine Retirado’s Project #6 –  Graphic Illustration – Communication

“Why Are We Still Dismissing Girls’ Pain?” by Laurie Edwards

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/17/opinion/girls-pain-sexual-abuse.html?searchResultPosition=1

For Project #6, we were asked to create a graphic illustration based on a topic of our choice. To start, we had to find an article that piqued our interest and included a graphic. From there, we wrote an analysis examining both the article’s contents and the effectiveness of the accompanying graphic—whether it worked, what elements made it successful or unsuccessful, and why. After completing our analysis, we created a graphic illustration ourselves, either for that article or a completely new one. I chose to stick with the article I analyzed: Why Are We Still Dismissing Girls’ Pain? by Laurie Edwards, published in The New York Times. It discusses the ongoing societal issue of invalidating or dismissing women’s experiences, even when their pain is serious. I wasn’t particularly fond of the initial graphic because it didn’t align with my personal art style, but it was effective in conveying the gravity of the issue. It used a limited color palette with similar-valued hues and incorporated illustrations of stones surrounding a woman to visually depict the weight of the struggles discussed in the article. 

For my final piece, I wanted to fully capture the solemn tone of Edwards’ article, which highlights how often women’s pain is dismissed. I illustrated a girl surrounded by hands covering her mouth to depict the frequent silencing of women and how little their suffering is acknowledged in this patriarchal society. To establish a somber, fearful, and oppressive mood, I used a limited color palette of periwinkle, gray, and white. I also chose sketchy, harsh linework to symbolize the unforgiving reality women endure daily—not being taken seriously despite their pain. Through these artistic choices, I aimed to visually reinforce the systemic disregard for women’s voices and experiences. 

This was my favorite project by far because, for the first time, I was able to create a graphic illustration with a deeper story and meaning behind it—not that my previous works lacked significance, but they were more academic and practical, leaving little room for full creative interpretation. In this project, I had the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned throughout the semester, particularly how color palettes and schemes influence the emotional impact of an art piece and how linework can shape the tone of an illustration. The process allowed me to refine both my technical skills and my ability to convey complex themes through visual storytelling.